A Review of Seafood Safety after the Deepwater Horizon Blowout

The Deepwater Horizon (DH) blowout resulted in fisheries closings across the Gulf of Mexico. Federal agencies, in collaboration with impacted Gulf states, developed a protocol to determine when it is safe to re-open fisheries based on sensory and chemical analyses of seafood. Most waters have been re-opened, yet concerns regarding the robustness of the protocol to identify all potential harmful exposures and protect the most sensitive populations have been raised.

We aimed to assess the protocol based on comparisons with previous oil spills, published testing results, and current knowledge regarding chemicals released during the DH oil spill.

We performed a comprehensive review of relevant scientific journal articles and government documents concerning seafood contamination and oil spills and consulted with academic and government experts.

Protocols to evaluate seafood safety before re-opening fisheries have relied on risk assessment of health impacts from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposures, but metal contamination may also be a concern. Assumptions used to determine levels of concern (LOCs) following oil spills have not been consistent across risk assessments performed after oil spills. Chemical testing results after the DH oil spill suggest PAH levels are at or below levels reported after previous oil spills, and well below LOCs, even when more conservative parameters are used to estimate risk.

We recommend use of a range of plausible risk parameters to set bounds around LOCs, comparisons of post-spill measurements with baseline levels, and the development and implementation of long-term monitoring strategies for metals as well as PAHs and dispersant components. In addition, the methods, results, and uncertainties associated with estimating seafood safety after oil spills should be communicated in a transparent and timely manner, and stakeholders should be actively involved in developing a long-term monitoring strategy.

Citation: Gohlke JM, Doke D, Tipre M, Leader M, Fitzgerald T 2011. A Review of Seafood Safety after the Deepwater Horizon Blowout. Environ Health Perspect :-. doi:10.1289/ehp.1103507

Received: 31 January 2011; Accepted: 29 April 2011; Online: 12 May 2011

Source: Environmental Health Perspectives